7 Actors Who are Completely Different from Their Famous Roles

Actors are great at pretending to be different people. After all, it's a big part of the job description. Sometimes, the actors turn out to play the same person on-screen. Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Stark have a lot in common and Woody Allen, whenever he appeared in his movies, always seemed to be playing himself. But then there are many actors who have become famous for playing certain iconic roles they don't have much in common with. Don't mistake these real life people for the reel life characters they play. We bring you seven actors who are nothing like the roles that have made them famous.

Hugh Jackman's role as the indestructible mutant put him on a whole other level of fame. But unlike the sullen, short-tempered X-man, Hugh Jackman is a pretty cool guy who also likes to sing show tunes. Wolverine and Hugh Jackman couldn't be any more different.

Bryan Cranston was known as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle, but his role as the anti-hero Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad, one of the most fascinating characters on television, made him a household name. He shares very little with the ambitious and greedy drug lord, beginning with a full head of hair. Cranston is one of the nicest guys in Hollywood who's very considerate on set and is known to be a great co-star.

Matthew McCounaughey used to be just a pretty face in romantic comedies until the McConaissance that began with Dallas Buyers Club. His role in True Detective showed the vast range of his acting ability. He's not pessimistic jerk Rustin Cohle is. Turns out he has spent a lot of time understanding the character in order to play him well.

Ralph Fiennes is nothing at all like Voldemort. For starters – he has a nose. He managed to perform his role with such authenticity that children visiting the set would burst into tears when they looked at him. When he is out of The Dark Lord's make-up and costume, Fiennes is a good-natured man who is even an ambassador for UNICEF.

Another villainous character from Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy is played by Tom Felton who doesn't share personality traits with him. He actually grew up in a middle-class family, the youngest of four children, unlike Draco's only-child and his royal upbringing. He's very enthusiastic about his work (as shown by dyeing his hair a different color for eight movies). He was even sorted into Gryffindor, unlike his character.

The youngest Dunphy child seems to not have it all together in his head with the hilarious stupid things he tries on the show. But behind the scenes, the actor who plays him is actually brilliant. Nolan Gould got his high school certificate at 13 and is a member of MENSA. If that's not enough, he also plays more than three different musical instruments.

Don Draper is an arrogant womanizer, who uses his words to get what he wants. The actor who plays him is nothing like him. You might not know many things about Jon Hamm, for instance, the fact that he's pretty funny. He's been one of the best SNL hosts and he doesn't shy away from making a little fun of himself. He certainly doesn't envy Don Draper, who Hamm has stated to be a bad guy.

Have we missed any actors who are nothing like their roles? Let us know in the comments.